Arranged
by Pandaemic
Summary: She pretended for a living. He had no control, even over himself.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First fanfic in this community. Let's see how this goes.**

Her heart fluttered nervously as she stood before the last flight of stairs that led to the school roof. Slow deep breaths calmed her down most of the way. She had to do this in one shot.

 _Final checks._ Uniform? _Ironed and straight._ Hair? _Naturally down except for the little bow hairclip that was on the left side of her head._ Makeup? _Not too much, hopefully._

 _Action._ She slowly traversed up the steps, appearing as demure and timid as she could. At the top was the roof door. She yanked the rusted metal open, internally wincing as the joints screeched and bent. When she stepped out the light was almost blinding.

And there he was, leaning on the railing, the waist high bars the only thing separating him and the steep drop below. He turned at the sound of the roof door, and looked directly at her.

She stood there and gaped. Her senpai stood not 20 meters away from her now, his full attention on her. She mustered up her courage and walked over, careful not to seem as if she were mad.

"Sekigawa-san? What did you need me for?" He asked her as she neared.

 _Remember, just like you practised._ "U-u-uh-hmm, Shiba-senpai. W-w-w-" _just spit it out already._ "WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!" She yelled and bowed deeply. It was such a cliche move, but that was all she had.

She stayed in that position, fists clenched, trembling, waiting for an answer. As he was about to answer they were cut off.

"CUT!" The director held his face with his right palm. The crew that held reflectors and other equipment remained in position, ready for another run. "Yukimura-san. There needs to be more emotion in your delivery, more desperation, more... passion. Sekigawa has been in love with her senpai since well, forever. I don't really feel that when you talk."

Akari Yukimura. A rising star among rising stars. She had started only five years ago, at the young age of 17, and yet she had attained a huge following of fans and admirers. She listened intently to the director. "I'm sorry. I'll perform better next time."

"That next time's going to have to be tomorrow. The light's ruined now." The director stared at the lowering sun. It was only 4:00 PM, but he was known for his precise attention to continuity and detail. If a scene is meant for noon, it must be shot before the sun makes the shadows too long.

Akari grabbed a water bottle from the catering table they had set up on the abandoned school roof. When she saw her co-star walk over she threw him one as well.

"Good work today, Ryuunosuke-san." She said to him.

"Yeah, you too." The soft spoken, six foot model-turned-actor said back. Akari liked working with him. Mellow, down-to-earth, quiet. She made her way down the rusty steps, repainted by the crew to make it look more like a school in use. 20 minutes later she walked out to her car, now dressed in a white blouse and skirt. The ride was uneventful, mostly consisting of her agent dictating her schedule over the next two or three days. Akari had no comment. She took out her phone, parted her hair, and raised her head to take a quick selfie. She haphazardly slapped on a random filter and posted it to Instagram with some random caption. Some parts of fame were tiring to Akari, the constant need to be present on some sort of social media was one of them.

"Ah, yes, Yukimura-san." Her agent cut in again when she was stepping out. "Your parents would like to speak with you tonight over dinner. You should be free then. Should I pencil it in?"

Akari sighed. There wasn't anything that she could do to take a rain check, and it had been a while since she had actually answered a request from them. "I supposed I need to talk with Mummy and Daddy once in awhile." She said before closing the door and entering the apartment building. It was a swanky affair, with the feel of a hotel coming from every floor. She was in a penthouse, with a view over a bunch of Tokyo.

To say that Akari didn't like her parents was an understatement. Her whole family ran a huge business conglomerate called the Yukimura Group, her sister, Aguri, was in line for taking over the entire group. Akari guessed she was lucky. She could go off and pursue a career in acting instead of business school like her sister. That wasn't to say that her parents approved. They wanted to control her life, "look out for her," as they always said. Akari sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment. At least with a stable job and plenty of offers she could live independently of her parents' money. She could remember how she started out, groveling on the floor in front of producers and directors to give her a job, any job. She was one of the lucky ones. A talent scout noticed her during an audition and took her under their wing.

Her living quarters were not small by any measure. It was a four room open concept space with a spacious outside balcony. Living alone emphasized the sheer amount of space further. It was sparsely decorated, a simple couch and coffee table facing opposite her T.V in the living room, and a small kitchen with an island tucked away in the corner of the dining room, adorned almost exclusively with stainless steel.

Akari left the majority of her makeup on for dinner later that night. No point re-applying it later. She crossed the living room to the balcony door, checking the lock on the door in case someone had broken in. It had happened before, and Akari proactively took self-defense classes afterwards in case something like that happened again. She smirked and recalled how much she ached after holding katas for hours and being thrown around like a stuffed toy by her peers. But it was worth it, not only to show off but for many other things like keeping in shape and meditation as well.

Satisfied with the state of the lock Akari returned to the couch and looked for a show she had been binge-watching over the last few weeks. There were about two hours to kill before she had to show up back home.

"I honestly do think we should reconsider her offer, Karen." Tobio Yukimura said to his wife. They sustained a conversation in between collaborating to make a meal together. It had been almost a year since they had seen Akari, and they had committed to making a family meal themselves, without help from the staff.

"I don't think we can, dear. Most of the other clans think of Aki-chan to be a blemish on our name. Disrespecting our wishes and whatnot. Even if we don't think much of it, others do. There's not exactly a lot of people lining up to court her." Karen paused to drizzle a bit more rice wine onto the frying steaks, flipping them over once more, "Who knows if we'll get another chance at this."

"Why not let her choose for herself?" Tobio replied, "God knows how much she hates us for hovering over her all those years. At least with this, she should choose someone she loves."

"Since when did we ever marry for love?" Karen grinned at her husband. They could barely stand each other on the day of their engagement. Of course, they grew closer to each other over the years. Her face returned to a serious state soon after. "We're members of a massive business conglomerate that has to expand and connect to survive. 'Those who give their lives to gain and maintain power do not have the luxury to love'."

"You're quoting her already?" Tobio chuckled dryly.

"It's not like we're going to be throwing her into this blind. We know that the boy seems decent enough. Besides, we're going to have to make some concessions anyways. I think we can talk her into at least a date."

"You're going to have to explain that to Mrs. Shiota then, Karen." He moved the carrots he had been chopping into a bowl. Several new band-aids now adorned his fingers from the prep work he had been put up to.

"That means it's going to be on you," Karen coyly pointed at him with a finger, uncumbered by bandages as his was, "to break this to her."

Tobio sighed dramatically. He would be the one facing his daughter's anger.

* * *

Akari stared into her foggy bathroom mirror. A hot shower smelling of roses and sandalwood left her skin with a faint flush and a light scent of flowers. She mulled over what her parents could have called her back for. Birthdays? _No, Onee-san's was last month, and there isn't anyone I know with a birthday within the week._ Were they calling her back? _Unlikely. Ever since I left home Mum and Dad had been unnaturally forgiving with my living arrangements._ Had someone died? _No, there's not many people who were really close to me that my parents knew about, and anyone that would require my presence could be discussed about over the phone._ So why? It wasn't a holiday, no special events, and she definitely wasn't called back because they were worried.

" _Akari Yukimura, what on earth are you doing?" Her mother stood in the doorway, legs akimbo, arms crossed, and face in questioning anger at the suitcase opened up on the bed. "Saiga-sensei has been waiting downstairs for over an hour."_

" _I'm not going, Mother." Akari threw another sundress into the suitcase, one of a pair of twins. The other was filled to the brim with toiletries, money, contacts, and valuables, and leaned against a pillar of the huge four-poster bed. "I'm leaving home."_

" _What are you talking about, Aki-chan? Leaving? Leaving for where? Come on darling, after your violin lessons we'll be going to a gala ball. We'll have to get a dress ready for y-"_

" _No, Mom. I'm leaving home. I'm done with this, I don't want all, all THIS." Akari waved her arms at the opulence of her room, and of her life in general. "I don't want you hovering over me, controlling me like a puppet for the rest of my life! I'm twenty now, Mom. I'm old enough to vote, to get a job, and move out."_

" _Are you sure you can stay out there? Without us, would you have any money, any food, a house? Besides, we only do this because we care about you." Karen switched to a softer tone._

" _Do you? Do you really? Do you ever, EVER, ask me about what I want? About what I want to do? Or are you just trying to choose for me, to make into your own little doll to manipulate?" Akari fell from her anger as quickly as it came over her. "The agency offered me a job and a contract. I'll be fine for money and shelter for a few years."_

 _Akari could see her mother mulling it over. She mumbled something under her breath and sighed. The face that Akari saw next surprised her._

 _Her mother looked at her wistfully, eyes suddenly sad and lonely. "At least, at least leave tomorrow morning. I'll go tell your father." And with that the matriarch of the Yukimura Group shuffled away._

What?! _Akari thought to herself. Her mother wasn't going to punish her. She wasn't being thrown out. No. For the first time since… well, as long as she could remember, she could leave her parents and go out on her own._ What in the world is going on?

Akari took public transportation to her childhood home. Even with her paycheck owning a car and caring for it was too much of a burden for the twenty-two year old actor. _Maybe when I become really famous._ She shook that thought out of her head. She was under no illusion about the nature of the acting business. She would most likely get small roles for years, maybe for the rest of her career, before it might pan out into larger, more well known roles. Right now she was doing side characters, the Friend A that gets a little bit of screen time, the cop who never really gets their backstory fleshed out. Her role as Sekigawa Shino was possibly her biggest yet.

 _And I'm failing at it miserably._ Sekigawa was supposed to be this lovestruck girl trying to ask out her childhood friend. She had idolized and adored her Senpai since they were young. As cliche as the plot was Akari could see the amount of raw emotion and depth that had been written into the character. She cried, she loved, and she learned from mistakes. Over the course of two seasons she had changed from a fangirl-like admirer to someone that her senpai loved back.

Akari, on the other hand, had never felt love in the flesh. There were the occasional temporary, flavour of the month crushes, and the occasional fling, but she never really felt the level of commitment or desire that everyone else seemed to feel for their lovers. Feeling that strongly about someone had never really occurred to Akari.

The bus stopped off at a small stop in the countryside. From there there was a long trek for about twenty minutes before she finally reached the front gates. She took the shorter scenic trails through the forest rather than follow the winding main road. She thought back to the hikes that she went on as a teen, exploring the unusually dense forest. It was her form of stress relief, to walk amongst nature, to feel it around her.

While still in the Tokyo area, there were many places in the western towns that held large communities and buildings. The home of the co-heads of the Yukimura group was one of these. A japanese style villa nestled in the hills of rural Nishitama, it took up a large amount of land, with a total of two main buildings and a third guest house. Built on the land which was once an outer military fortress from medieval times, the layout for the buildings was kept the same, although amenities like pools, sand gardens, archery ranges, and stables had been added in over the years. It had a very, very traditional vibe to it, and almost everybody that came in was expected to wear traditional clothing. Even though she came over with a simple T-shirt and pants, her backpack held a simple yukata.

She first heard the soft gurgling of the ponds long before she could make out the front gates. Akari jogged the last stretch, coming out on the side of the main road. She could feel her apprehension build as she neared the buzzer.

"State your business." She heard moments after the buzzer rang. A gruff, gravelly voice answered her call.

"The Master and Mistress are expecting me." Although Akari wasn't a resident of the house anymore, she could have easily have gotten access by dropping her name. No, it was more like she didn't WANT to use it anymore. "I have a dinner meeting at 9:00 pm." She checked her watch. _8:45. Bless the power of bullet trains._

"Hmm, I don't see a dinner appointment here, what's your name?"

Akari hesitated for a moment. Should she tell him? No, there was a better way to deal with this.

"If I were you, I wouldn't keep a guest of the Yukimura group waiting at the door, minutes before a prescribed meeting." If there was one thing that Akari took from her life as a business socialite, it was how to act haughty and important. "You can buzz them and ask directly."

"And I shall." He snipped back at her over the intercom. _Was the security always this rude to people?_

"Yes madam, sorry to interrupt, but there's someone at the main door, a young woman. Black hair, T-shirt and jeans, looks like she just hiked through the woods. Saying something about a dinner appointment. Should I send them away? … No? ... Prepare for you to go to the gate?"

Akari smirked as she almost heard the guard blanch over the phone conversation. She reveled in the rushed apology the man gave her.

About five minutes later Akari heard the hard pit-pat of geta sandals coming from beyond the main gate. She got up from the side of the wall she had been leaning on. The Mongolian Oak door creaked as it opened, even though it was aided by electric winches on the sides. Akari suddenly faced her own visage, although more aged and wise in her years.

"Mother." She curtly addressed the bearer of her life with clipped professionalism.

Karen's gaze softened at her daughter's cold display. "Don't be like that, honey. We're family, aren't we?"

"Why did you call me?" She just wanted to get to the point. Akari worried for a moment as her mother looked apprehensive.

"Let's talk over dinner." Her mother turned on her heel and beckoned for her to follow.

Little had changed over the two years that Akari had left home. The flower arrangements had definitely changed, and so had a few of the screen panels, but most of the lighting and furniture remained in their original positions, as if waiting, frozen in time for her return. They entered one of the side rooms, not their usual dining room. In there sat Akari's father and a short table with quite a bit of food. She herself had changed into the floral print yukata, the soft cotton fitting over her like a second skin even after two years. All three of them knelt down before the table by a table setting.

" _Itadakimasu_ ," they said in unison before quietly starting their meals.

"How's work?" Akari's father tried to start up conversation in between bites.

Akari shrugged. "Fine."

"Are you okay on money? Food? Medicine? We can help y-"

"I'm fine, Dad." Akari let slip a tone of annoyance into her voice. There was no way she was going to be indebted to her parents again. "I don't need your help." _Or your suffocating care._

"Good, good. That's good." Her dad mumbled. He was hiding something. He always mumbled non-committedly whenever he had a secret to keep.

"Have you found anyone nice yet?" Her mother chirped in, obviously trying to divert attention.

"No, not really. With my schedule there's almost no time for me to go out." A lie, completely boldfaced. She had plenty of time some weeks due to her shooting schedule usually being crammed on Tuesday through Thursday, but her parents asked the same thing every time they saw her. "Have you settled down yet?" "Are you dating someone?" "Is there someone you like?". It was always on the top of their things to ask, and Akari had no idea why. But this time was suspicious. They looked as if they were treading on eggshells, talking to her. She was halfway through her steak when she decided to nip this in the bud.

"What did you really call me here for?" A family dinner was nice, but it definitely wasn't the reason. _Nee-san_ wasn't here and her parents looked like they had guns to their heads.

"Alright then." Her father looked sullen as he placed down his bowl and chopsticks. Almost as if he enjoyed them playing family. When he looked back up his gaze was direct and businesslike.

"We've recently received an offer from a second business conglomerate, one that rivals our own."

"What does your business have to do with me?" Akari questioned. Internally her heart fell to her stomach. At this point, there was only one reason she would be involved with her parents' business.

"They have asked for your hand in marriage to one of their own."

"What?!" She got up, shaking the table and utensils. "You did what now?!"

"We didn't do anything." Her mother said, trying to calm her daughter down.

"Oh god, ohhh god, please don't tell me you guys accepted. I'm not going to let you make my decisions for me." She started pacing around the room. It was rude, but she had other priorities other than her demeanour.

"NO! No, no. We didn't accept it yet. We wanted to to tell you first."

"Tell me FIRST?! Then you were trying to accept! I can't believe you two! I'm not interested in your games of power. I'm not going just stand by while you sell me off like a piece of fucking meat! My answer is no. You can go tell whoever it is to go stuff it. I'm not interested in marrying some random person." Akari made for the door. How dare they? How DARE they do that to her?

"We, we can't do that, dear." Her father called out to her. _What did they want now? What could they say that could make up for this?_

"The Shiota group owns many companies in the fields of entertainment and marketing. They also own the agency that has hired you."

Akari turned around in shock.

"They said that if this offer doesn't go through they would terminate your contract, and make it nigh impossible for any other company to hire you." Her father returned to his somber state of speech.

"That-that's illegal, isn't it?" Akari stuttered, frozen in thought. _I could lose everything._ "Y-you can sue them, can't you?"

"It wouldn't help. They can just drag out the case with their legal team for years. By the time the case can even have a conclusion in sight your contract would be long over. I'm sorry honey." He got up as well and embraced his daughter. Akari simply let it happen. Her father had years dealing with business transactions and lawsuits, both on behalf of himself and the conglomerate. If he said that it was impossible to back out without Akari losing her job, then that was that. Acting was the only thing that Akari had that was her own. There was no way that she was going to let anyone take that away from her, even if it meant this agreement.

"So… did you?" She trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air for them to respond.

"No, we didn't." Her mother licked her lips momentarily, "We agreed to a trial relationship before the engagement is made formal. It's more of a pretense or delaying the inevitable rather than testing anything, but it'll at least get you comfortable with him."

"Have you at least met him?" Akari was distant, acting on autopilot at this point. She had never even felt love for someone, and yet here she was, getting married to a man she never knew.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: #3. Let's see if we can do 850 views and 15 reviews. Overwhelmingly likes in the reviews but if there's any constructive advice to give, then give it.**

Running. Running, running, running. It seemed that was all Akari could do in life was run. Run away from her problems, run away from her family, run away from her life. Maybe that's why she loved acting so much. Maybe it was because she could pretend to be someone else for hours on end. Live their story instead of her own, boring one.

She sent out another decoy tweet saying that she was in Ginza, shopping. That would throw off paparazzi and fans desperate for a picture of her out and about for a while. Today was her own time. She needed time to think about what her life had just turned into.

She entered a quaint little book cafe in the Nerima ward, far from home and any place where a T.V actor would normally be. The nameplate was scratched to the point where the name was barely legible, and the door was tucked into the side of a staircase, hidden from view, but it was quiet. She would come here often to rest her mind, to put herself at ease. She sat by a large round table, and her order was quickly taken by a young, high-school age waitress with dark hair that hung over one eye.

She picked up a book at random from the shelf, and absorbed herself within the pages and words. It was a bog-standard romance novel, with an easily predictable plot and characters. _Seems better than my life right now though._ She stared out of the large windows that looked out over a park across the street. How nice it would be to just come here everyday, as another face in the crowd. She wouldn't have to deal with any of the drama in her life, or anybody dictating how her life should be lived. Yes, she Akari was running because she wanted to.

"Miss? Your coffee and sandwiches." She was returned to reality by the voice of her waitress behind her. "Yes, thank you." She replied before starting her meal, careful not to use her sandwich hand to touch her book. She adjusted the glasses on her face to keep the lenses from reflecting glare into her eyes. They weren't prescription. It was to help with her disguise. So was the green wig she wore. It was supposed to be a white wig for one of her characters in a show, but when it was ordered it came out a dark mint green instead. She was allowed to keep it as a souvenir when the show's filming was over. Both of these things helped to hide her real identity quite well.

Akari noticed another of the patrons, farther at the end of the café, with odd light-blue hair, baggy brown cargo pants, and a loose white T-shirt. They were reading a book, but once every so often they would brush back a lock of hair from their face, which hung over it like a dividing curtain, only for it or another one to come out and take its place. They seemed disturbed by it, and Akari made her way over.

"Do you need some help with that? Your hair seems to be in the way." It was odd for her to do something like this, but she couldn't help herself. Her identity was suddenly pushed to the back of her mind.

"Yeah, thanks!" A soft, feminine voice responded to her. The blue-haired stranger shuffled her seat over to allow Akari better access.

Akari pulled back the overhanging strands and quite a bit of the hair that hung to her shoulders. A quick and messy tie brought about a pair of fluffy pigtails.

Once finished Akari was rewarded with a bright, innocent smile on a smooth, baby-like, porcelain face. "Thanks a lot, stranger! What's your name? My name's Nagisa."

She was taken aback at how forward Nagisa was. "Uh, erh- uh," She racked her brains for a moment deciding on a name. She couldn't exactly call herself Akari, as common as that name was. She needed a disguise.

"M-my name is Kayano." She stuttered. Nobody had been this forward to her without knowing her real identity before.

"Kayano, huh? Well you're really nice, Kayano-san." Nagisa was practically beaming.

"Y-yeah thanks..." She responded, still taken aback at Nagisa's demeanour. As accepting as Nagisa was, to suddenly walk up and help with someone's hair was awkward, at the very least to Akari herself. She glanced down at the book Nagisa was reading, and found it to be the same as her's. "You like this series?" She asked, pointing at the novel placed on the table, Nagisa's finger marking the page that she had been interrupted at. Nagisa suddenly perked up even more, somehow. "Yeah! I really like the author, been looking for her works for a while now. There's something nice about her books that I just can't put my finger on-"

There was a loud beep from Nagisa's pants, and she took out a small pager from the back pocket. Akari noticed the tiniest of frowns briefly grace Nagisa's face before it was replaced, almost instinctively, by another wide, friendly grin. "Sorry we can't talk anymore, I have somewhere to be. I know! Let's trade phone numbers so we can meet up again sometime!"

* * *

And with that, Akari found herself with a new number on her phone, and an odd companion on her mind for the rest of the day. Her blind date was tonight. It wasn't until the dress appeared on her doorstep that the full force of the agreement hit her. She was getting married. She started panicking. She was about to be sold away, her self and life placed under the control of someone else.

She looked down at the shiny red garment in the box, a bespoke dress made to her specific measurements by fashion designers from around the world. Something like this dress and the dinner date cost but a drop in the bucket for the Yukimura Group. For something to be so large that it could make something like that cow to its demands, it scared her. It scared her as well, the world she was getting into. More money was made and lost in seconds than the average person would ever see in a lifetime. The fates and lives of millions became statistics and numbers on a spreadsheet, used by dozens of companies to peddle their product around the world. She would be forced to play nice with people who she knew were out of touch with the world, and be unable to even try and change that. Her self-made career would be over. No longer would she be Akari Yukimura, actress. She would be Akari Whatever-the-last-name-of-her-partner-is, trophy wife to so-and-so higher-up from company XYZ. She would be a young, hot flame on the arm of some old spark, attempting to fan the flames of zeal and fervor within him.

Akari fell to the floor in a multitude of emotions. Panic. Fear. Sadness. Resentment. Impotence. Was this how her independence ended? An impossible decision forced upon her from powers that could move mountains? To be forced into the life of a pawn in an endless game of chess, where the pieces and the players are never truly known? She thought momentarily of running, running away, becoming another person yet again, rebuild her life by herself. No, that wouldn't work. She would eventually be hunted down and brought back. There was no running now. Her hand, shaky from panic and fear, reached for her phone in her pocket. _Nagisa, I need to talk to Nagisa_. It was odd, how the first thing that popped into her mind was a friend she hadn't known at all twelve hours ago. But it was the only thing she had.

'Can you talk right now?' She typed out on the screen, sending it across the radio signals to wherever Nagisa was at the moment.

While waiting for a reply she pulled the dress out of the box. It was a tight-fitting evening-gown, with a floor length hem that flared up and out from the bottom . She noticed that the fabric down the side of the leg was folded on the inside, allowing her freedom to move and walk at her own gait without extending or threatening to tear the tight silk that only seemed to press her legs together. The dress stuck to her figure and curved like an hourglass, The gold lace patterns running diagonally, meeting at the bottom of the dress to highlight her hips and give the impression of an hourglass figure. The garment had short, skin-tight sleeves that reached the middle of her bicep, a low cut that exposed her collarbone, upper chest, and most of her shoulders, along with a wide and deep V-cut down to the small of her back on the reverse. She felt and caressed the silk in her hands, as if testing it. The small action calmed her down, the repetition soothing her frayed nerves. Her phone buzzing brought her back to reality.

'No, not really. I'm heading out right now so I can't really use my phone. Sorry! ;)' The message came through on the tiny screen. She could almost hear the apologetic smile in Nagisa's voice.

She rummaged through the box again, noting the shoebox and small jewelry boxes that had been packed underneath the dress. She took her mind off of her morbid thoughts by getting everything on. The car that her parents would send for her would be arriving any minute. She took out the red flower earrings that matched the dress, the sparkling diamond necklace (which most likely costed more than Akari's average salary.), the deep red stiletto heels, and the red-and-gold clutch bag (which, on further inspection of the chains and latches, was embellished with what was likely 24 karat gold.).

Akari moved quickly to the bathroom, almost tearing the door off of the makeup cabinet. She went for a simple look; Foundation, lipstick, and eyeshadow. A deep, attention seeking red filled her lips while a mysterious, yet enticing smoke adorned her eyes. She didn't want anything else. Slipping into the dress and jewelry she felt detached, as if she was becoming someone else.

 _Right. This is an act, for me at least. It's like stepping into a role, I don't have to be "Me"._ She thought as the phone rang, obviously the driver had arrived.

Akari bounded down the stairs, ignoring the gazes of the other tenants as she rushed by in full evening wear. Carefully she tried not to trip up on either the heels or the dress as she went down. The elevator had broken down that morning. Just her luck.

She was glad to see a familiar face waiting for her right out side of her complex. "Yuuji!" She called out, the young man nearly dropping his cigarette at the sound of her voice.

"Akari-sama." He bowed respectfully and addressed her solemnly. She still saw the smirk on his face, even with how low he was bowing.

"C'mon, don't be like that." She punched him lightly on the arm, playing along. "We've known each other for years." They laughed as Yuuji opened the side door of the car, a sleek, white sports car, and they went on their way.

"You still smoking?" She asked as they cleared the first light. The light wafting of menthol-flavoured tobacco smoke by her nose didn't bother her in the slightest. Business in the Yukimura household had a tradition of smoking, especially after a deal or acquisition.

Yuuji did a momentary tilt of the head before taking another puff, the cigarette now half done. "Your old man is trying to get me to stop, been giving me extra lessons if he sees me doing more than one a day. Says he's going to amp it up soon too."

Yuuji was a familiar face in the Yukimura household, one that Akari grew up with, almost like a brother. He took archery lessons from her father, and now helps run the small countryside school in the neighbourhood, along with being an assistant to said father.

"Besides, look. At. You." He said at the next light, looking over and tracing his gaze across her. "Whoever this Shiota dude is, he is one. Lucky. Man."

She laughed at Yuuji's cheesy compliment. He meant nothing by it. It was just his way of making her laugh. "Do you know how much of a prick you sound like right now?"

"Jeez, Akari. You know I wouldn't do anything to you. You're like a sister to me. So don't lump me in with those people. I'm not some rabid fan out for your autograph."

"I know you have blu-rays of every show I've ever been in and a bunch of calendars and wall posters of me."

"Shit, I knew that old man would rat me out."

"So above everything else, you're a stalker, a boy with a crush, a pervert, AND a siscon?" Akari teased him. As fun as it was for him to poke at her all the time, it was so satisfying to see the boy flustered and at a loss for words.

"Uh-uh-I-I.. THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS!" Yuuji panicked as much as he could while keeping focus on the road.

Akari broke out in laughter once again. "I'm just screwing with you, man."

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence, too exhausted from teasing to get into any other topics. It made Akari forget about what was about to happen not fifteen, twenty minutes from now.

"We're here." The mirth and comfort in the atmosphere of the car left as soon as it stopped in front of the high-class restaurant. Akari suddenly felt chills permeate through her spine, almost freezing her in apprehension and fear. She fought through it, opening the latch of the car door and stepping out.

"Last chance to back out." Yuuji said to her, the seat still warm and vacant.

"No." Akari shook her head. She would face this, for her own sake, and no one else's. "I'm going to do this."

"I'll be right outside if you need to make a quick getaway." He winked and closed the car door before speeding off around the corner.

On shaky legs Akari passed through the stained oak doors that kept her from what her future would inevitably be from now on. She could run. Run away under a new name and live a new life, instead of being shackled to some man she had never known. No, that was foolish. The Shiota Group would find her, and if not, her public image might be ruined. There was no underestimating the power the group held, and how inescapable it was. What had she done to deserve the ire of such a powerful conglomerate? To be forced to cow and submit to their dehumanizing demands?

There was no point dwelling any longer. She recalled her reading of history books. _Alea iacta est._ 'The die is cast'. The phrase fit so well with her current situation. She had cast her lot, to comply with the ultimatum forced upon her. Whatever result would come of this was one she would gladly reap.

"Ma'am." The hostess stood at a small podium, in business-like fashion, and addressed Akari curtly.

"I have a reservation." _No going back now._ "It's either under the name Shiota or Yukimura."

The hostess checked through the thick book of names, brow furrowing as she scanned column after column of carefully calligraphed titles. For a moment Akari almost wished that her or this Mr. Shiota's name wouldn't come up at all.

"Ah, yes here we are. You must be Yukimura-sama." A deep bow came from the hostess, one that Akari returned in kind. "Your table will be table 82. It's a private room at the end of the banquet hall, on your left. Please, enjoy your dinner."

Akari simply returned the formal kindness offered to her. It wasn't like she could tell the young lady that she was being forced into a marriage against her will. Averting her eyes as she walked she looked at the architecture of the restaurant. It had a roof far too high for the purpose of the space, with tall gothic arches and greek marble pillars holding them up. It was a fusion of many different european influences, too many and too interspread to specifically point out any of them. From the silverware to the porcelain dishes, from the ornate chandeliers to the decorated candle holders on every table. Everything fused together under a soft, orange-tinted light.

"71, 72, 73, 74.." Akari mumbled under her breath, listing off the numbers as they passed by. She wasn't shaking anymore. She was steeled and ready. There was no escape now. "82. Here it is." Better to get this over with.

She pulled open the sliding door, a little too loudly for her liking. It was a room, romantically lit with small yellow candles and a tablecloth with rose petals embedded into it. A large flower arrangement stood in the middle of the small table, almost dwarfing everything else. A decanter of white wine sat in an ice bath in the center, next to a pair of stemmed wine glasses. There were only two table settings and chairs, and one might as well have beckoned Akari's soul directly.

However, the most odd thing that was in the room was not the plates, or the flowers, or the atmosphere. No, the oddest thing was the other inhabitant, sitting there perfectly upright in a sky blue suit, only turning their head to greet Akari. Their face, first set in worry, immediately brightened upon recognizing her.

"Kayano-san?!"

Yes, Nagisa sat in that other seat.

"I don't think I've properly introduced myself." Nagisa stood up and faced her at attention before performing a deep and proper bow. "My name is Nagisa Shiota, son to the next-in-line leader of the Shiota conglomerate, and your soon-to-be fiancé. How very nice it is to meet you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So you must be wondering, "Did we just lose a chapter?" No, no we didn't. I just did some spring cleaning (summer cleaning?) EDIT 9/24/16: (fall cleaning?) on the story. I moved chapter 2 to chapter 1, because they flowed together better than solo. I also tacked on Chapter "5" onto 4 because it's tiny and more of an addon to 4 than a standalone section. Hope that clears it up!**

* * *

"N-nice to meet you." Once again, Akari was caught off guard by Nagisa.

"I guess we should sit down first." He came over and pulled the other chair over, allowing her to seat herself.

"It's a small world, isn't it?" He said, smiling once again. "I thought I'd have someone nasty and mean as my betrothed, but I'm quite glad I was wrong." He chuckled."I don't think I've been given your name yet. Might I ask what it is? I'm guessing that Kayano was an alias."

"A-Akari. It's Akari." She looked for something to busy herself with, settling on the embroidered tablecloth. "Wait, how'd you figure it was an alias, and how did you recognize me?"

"By the looks of things, you were wearing a wig earlier today. And besides, I remember people by their faces. It's funny, because that was the biggest thing that my mother drilled into me," He changed tones to a high-class, sophisticated lilt, "'If you don't remember a face the first time, there may not be a second. It WILL come back to bite you, Nagisa'." He chuckled once more. "And if you were wearing a wig, you were probably hiding something. I just guessed that it was your name."

Akari noticed how Nagisa's speech changed as they talked more. He was soon talking to her in a friendly manner once again, most likely as the nerves and worries shook off of him.

"I was kind of scared too. I was thinking that I was going to have to marry some old, balding man with a huge stomach." She used her hands to create a pot belly and laughed from relief. To her surprise Nagisa laughed with her. "I guess you're a much better alternative."

"I guess that's flattering." There it was again, his smile. Somehow it calmed her down, that honest, open smile. How the left side of his lips tucked a little farther up than the right, how his cheeks flared up with his mouth, how his eyes lit up warmly at her.

"Still, the first time I saw you, I thought you were a girl! I guess it was the long hair or something." She said, still suddenly more open with Nagisa than most other people. He seemed genuine.

"Yeah, I get that a lot from people." Another chuckle, "Might be my hair. Or my voice."

Akari took a good look at Nagisa. He had a soft build, with narrow shoulders and a thin waist, visible even through the widening effect of the suit. His face was curvy and soft, in line with the rest of his body. He had no facial hair, delicate features, and large, kind, expressive eyes. It was easy to see how Nagisa could be mistaken for a girl.

Nagisa pulled the decanter out from the ice bath, dripping with condensation and melted ice. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long, Nagisa." she said.

"No, not too long. Maybe about ten minutes or so? It gave me some time to prepare before you came," He was pouring her a glass of wine, actually a very faint pink, "n-not that you're bad or need preparing for in any way, I was just thinking that it might be someone much worse than you." He started panicking again, but not before the decanter was placed on the table, "Not-not that you're terrible or anything, you're lovely, i-it's just-" His pigtails seemed to droop with his mood. "I'm sorry for being like this."

Akari wanted to laugh at how awkward he was, but settled for a comforting smile and a warm touch on the shoulder. "It's fine. Relax. We're going to be seeing a lot more from each other from now on."

Her heart almost sank in her chest when that came out of her mouth. As pleasant as Nagisa was, they weren't together by choice. Whatever developed between them would be forced, born from a situation that might have never happened otherwise. Like a bonsai tree whose roots are constricted to force it to grow stunted and small. What they have (or might have in the future) might never equate to true love.

"Are you okay?" Nagisa was more perceptive than Akari had thought.

"I'm fine. I was just...thinking about things." She then realized that Nagisa had poured himself a glass as well. Akari frowned. Considering Nagisa's build and size…

"I know what you're thinking," He said, "'This kid looks waaay too young to be drinking.' Am I right?" Another light giggle. "I'm twenty. I know, I don't look like it. Mom says it's the genes."

Nagisa was just one surprise after another to Akari.

"Y'know, you should probably stop thinking so hard. Apparently scrunching your eyebrows like that gives you wrinkles earlier in life." He slid over a menu to her side of the table. "I know that all this is a little daunting, but we can just take it one step at a time." A sip of wine before he continued. "I'm not exactly great at this whole arranged relationship thing myself. Right now, just focus on what you're going to eat. Tomorrow is tomorrow, it isn't going anywhere."

Again, Nagisa knew exactly what to say, as if he had known her for years. Akari took it to heart. He was right, there wasn't any point mulling over the future now. There was a time and place for that, and right now was not the time. She answered with a smile and pulled up the menu, browsing through the carefully arranged sections in delicate, fancy script.

"*Gulp* U-uh, N-Nagisa..." She shivered slightly. "All this seems a little… expensive." She poured through the appetiser section. 1700 yen for a side salad?!

"Don't worry about it, just get whatever you want. The Shoita group is covering the bill anyways."

"I-if you say so." Akari perused the sections, paying no mind to the ever increasing price tag on every item. Even so, she settled on something small and simple. Her stomach would thank her for it.

Almost on cue, the sliding door opened, allowing in the noise of the rest of the restaurant as well as their waiter.

"Are you all ready to order?" The middle-aged man smiled patiently and attentively, holding a pad in one hand and a small pencil in the other.

"Yes," Nagisa started, looking suddenly businesslike and professional all of a sudden, "I'll have a Risi e Bisi **[1]** to start, a Steak au poivre **[2]** with a sweet sauce and a side of fries as a main dish, and a lemon soufflé to finish." Akari almost had her jaw drop at Nagisa's pronunciation of both Italian and French. From what she retained from almost half a decade of language lessons, Nagisa had the tone and accent of a native, casual speaker. Completely different from herself, who had barely retained conversational Chinese, let alone Italian, or French, or Spanish. English, on the other hand, she retained quite a bit of.

"And what would the young miss like?"

She started with a set of dinner rolls, moving to a smoked atlantic salmon filet with a ginger sauce, finishing with a slice of tiramisu cake. In comparison to Nagisa, her meal was small and simple.

"So you're an actor?" Nagisa asked as the silence fell once again with the departure of the waiter.

"Yeah, I am, not a big one though." She responded. "I'm still in university too, still going for my arts degree. 3rd year now."

"That's nice, I'm starting university next semester. Nothing cool or awesome like an acting degree from an arts school, just a boring business management degree." He responded, twirling a fork in his hand as he talked. "I'm also working in a library right now, so at least I have some money lying around."

"Wait, if you're twenty, then why are you-" She was soon cut off by Nagisa once again.

"I was in a finishing school for my secondary education. I had to come back to high school to finish my diploma."

Akari frowned. "Even if you were in a finishing school, your credits should have counted towards universities."

"It was a finishing school in Switzerland," He smiled, "so they didn't take my credits. But the place in Switzerland was pretty great. Got my own room and everything, though they did have to leave cameras in and around my room. One guy in an all-girl's school and all that."

How much power did Nagisa's family hold that they could wrench the arm of a school in Switzerland? That Nagisa could stay in that school, even with all the restrictions on him, scared Akari even more.

She was again brought out of her thoughts by their waiter, who had brought a pair of amuse-bouches, a pair of small "tarts". They weren't made of pastry, but of sashimi slices, dark pink fish, most likely tuna, arranged into a curled heart with a small stem of mint right in the middle, the leaves trimmed to give the appearance of fletching on the arrow-like stem. Each piece of sashimi was individually translucent and thin, like a fingernail, but together made an almost stained glass effect, warping the image of the plate underneath to their eyes.

"The head chef sends his regards, and his congratulations." The waiter curtly smiled at them, a smile which they both returned, before stepping out to retrieve their appetisers.

"I guess your family let the chef know as well." Akari mentioned their eventual engagement and marriage. There was a momentary flinching in Nagisa's face, so sudden that Akari wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been staring at his face the whole time.

"I guess they did." He responded, a little too quick on the draw.

She simply let it go, picking up the tiny piece of food and shoving the whole thing into her mouth. For comparison, it was about the diameter of her thumb. The tart exploded with flavour. The entire shape fell apart in her mouth, almost melting due to their thickness, and the individual layers of spices and materials began to pop and mix in her mouth. The mint was sweet, more sweet than fresh, and helped mask the fishy flavour of the sashimi, replacing it with an almost cool texture to the whole treat, like ice cream. From the look on Nagisa's face, he was enjoying it as well.

Akari reached towards the wine that she hadn't touched yet, a sweet-smelling Rosé Zinfandel that was probably more agreeable to the palate of younger drinkers than older ones. The painstaking lessons on wines and wine culture had come from a paternal great-aunt with a love of breweries.

Nagisa refilled his glass and raised it in a toast after their main courses arrived. Akari raised her own in response. "To us, and whatever lies ahead." He started, his voice both solemn and adventurous.

"To us." Akari replied. The clink of the glasses reverberated in her mind for the rest of the night.

* * *

Akari laid on the couch, droplets of water forming and traversing her brow almost in time with the ticking of the clock. No, this wasn't perspiration, it was condensation. From the ice pack on her forehead the droplets of water formed, cooled by her attempt to remedy a throbbing headache.

They had gone through two full decanters in about two and a half hours, if Yuuji and the clock on his car were to be believed. She was very much hungover, and had tried in vain throughout the morning to cure the nausea and dizziness that had accompanied the alcohol. She reached over for another aspirin, popping it with a short sip of water. Her throat was dry, her head hurt and spun, her stomach was at the head of a full-on mutiny. Never, never again, Akari thought to herself. The next time she went out drinking, this experience would be at the back of her mind.

Glad. She was glad. Glad that her fiancé was at the very least nice and kind, glad that they got along quite well, glad that she at least had some measure of freedom and control. The rest of the dinner had gone smoothly, with the two of them making small talk and cracking jokes, especially as their drinks became ever so numerous. While it was still an arrangement that Akari would rather do without, she could at least be grateful about the other party.

Her mind went to said other party, Nagisa. Kind, polite, curt. He was someone that was very pleasing to be around, very receptive of attention and modest around praise. His mannerisms were feminine. A little too feminine. From the way he held himself to the dainty way he held his cutlery, every part of him spoke meek politeness.

The doorbell suddenly rang out across the entire apartment, jerking Akari upright, the ice pack she had for emergencies such as this falling on her blanketed lap. A quick glance over at the clock soothed her suspicions. There wasn't anyone she was expecting today. Another set of rings, each one sounding more annoyed than the last made its way across Akari's abode, sending the young woman into action, almost springing across the relatively large space.

Careful not to slam against the door, Akari slowed to a halt and pressed her eye against the peephole, a stern face framed by a head of short, dark blue hair on the other side. The distortion from the fisheye lens amplified the sense of impatience and frustration that emanated from the woman standing on the other side.

Akari carefully opened the door, quickly yet calmly, only to be blasted by a shrill voice.

"Honestly girl, are you deaf? I've been ringing this bell far too long for no one to answer. You are very lucky that I am not in a position to immediately get you evicted from your house right this very moment!"

"H-hello?" Akari responded weakly, taken aback.

"Yes, hello." She could feel the woman's condescending stare as if it were a physical force pressing against her body. "I am Hiromi Shiota, mother of the child to my right," Akari glanced over to Nagisa, who stood meekly at his mother's side, "whom you have already made the acquaintance of. We are here to lay out your living arrangements." Mrs. Shiota pushed Akari to the side before making her way into the apartment. Her pumps clacked against the hardwood floor as she walked towards the central room, stopping in the middle, her legs akimbo. It was at this point in time that Akari took note of the older woman's attire, a business suit and pants. Clearly she had other places to be.

"Living arrangements?" Akari answered once she caught herself.

"Yes, you two," Mrs. Shiota pointed between Akari and Nagisa, who had just came in as well, after taking off his shoes, "are to be living together from now on."

Akari furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Why? Why am I going to have to live with Nagisa?"

"This entire," Mrs. Shiota thought of the correct word for a moment, "courtship between the two of you is to get both of you accustomed to the ins and outs of being a couple, and eventually married. I believe living together falls under that as well, wouldn't you agree? It's not like this is some fling or something that is meant to end in a variably short amount of time, is it?" She looked smug, almost daring Akari to find a way out of the arrangement.

"Oh and you won't be able to say no to this. Wouldn't want you poor reputation spoiled by some, let's just say unsavoury rumours, would we?"

Akari grew furious. To be reminded of how powerless she was in this infuriated her to no end, like how she could never get anything to go her way back with her parents. At least they had done all that they did for her sake. This, this was something different.

Mrs. Shiota left them soon afterwards, and a pair of black-suited men came up with a set of suitcases, Nagisa's to be precise. Nothing in her house had been moved, not a single piece of furniture touched, and yet Akari felt like a hurricane had come through and torn everything from its rightful place.

Akari paced, fuming for several moments before realizing that Nagisa was still in her house. He had his head low, hair seeming to droop down with his mood once again. He stood awkwardly around his luggage, saying nothing.

She swore under her breath before running over to the couch and coffee table, head still throbbing quite a bit. She cleared off the blankets and pills and other items, placing them away in their proper place. "Make yourself at home, I guess." She said to him, leaving the implications of their relationship to hang in the air. She looked back when he hadn't moved from his place.

"You, you didn't want this, did you?" He said quietly. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were being forced into this. I-I'll leave right now." He started picking up two of the suitcases at the door, struggling to move them before Akari stopped him.

"Wait." She placed her hand on his arm. "Where are you going to go? I don't think your mom will be quite happy with you showing back up."

"I-I'll go rent a hotel room somewhere," Nagisa seemed quite unsure in himself, "It'll be fine, m-my job will pay for it. A-and we'll figure something out to keep my mother from discovering that we did this. It'll be f-fine-"

"It's true that I didn't want to live together just yet. Hell, I didn't want this whole thing anyways. But there's nothing I, or we can do about it right now. I think of you as a good friend right now Nagisa, and I can't just leave a friend out on the streets," She didn't really know what to think of Nagisa, in fact. It just seemed like the right thing to say, "especially with all this." She gestured to his large pile of personal stuff. "I'll go get the guest room ready for you." Akari was angry, and hated this entire setup and where her life was going. But she remembered Nagisa's words. One step at a time. And for her, the next step was making sure Nagisa had a place to stay, if at least temporarily.

Akari threw open the guest room door. It creaked quite loudly on hinges unopened for over…

How long was it again since she had company? Six months? A Year? Akari pushed her lapsing memory out of her mind and turned on her heel over to Nagisa, who had dragged over two of his suitcases to where she was standing.

The room was spartan in its decoration. A bed, nightstand and dresser stood at one end and a desk by the wall that the doorframe inhabited, all framed by simple brown hardwood floor and eggshell white walls. All of these pieces of furniture were covered by large dusty cloths, which Akari promptly removed, spilling dust onto the floor and into the air in large volumes.

She sneezed loudly before rushing out without a word and getting a broom and dustpan. To her surprise upon returning Nagisa had somehow pulled out a duster and a dustpan of his own, looking quite determined to help. Akari quickly glanced at the still open storage room before rolling her eyes and beckoning him to follow her in.

Akari dropped the dustpan by the door and began sweeping from the corners of the room, the thin, transparent layer of dust on the floor quickly coalescing into an opaque pile of powder.

The symptoms of her hangover soon returned, her head throbbing in time with her sweeping. She trudged on, wincing to herself as her skull ached, over and over.

It was after she organized the mass of dust in the room that she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around. Nagisa's genuine, comforting smile looked back at her. "Akari, go rest. I'll finish up."

Akari mulled it over for a moment, but only a moment, as the throbbing returned, this time in force.

"A-alright." she replied and meekly went back to the couch. She flopped down once again, quickly falling asleep to the sounds coming from the guest room as Nagisa cleaned by himself.

Akari could smell something different in the air, something good… something… tasty. Really, really tasty. Something like… curry?

Her eyes flew open, the smell and sounds of cooking suddenly amplified, as if she had tossed off a blanket over her senses. Who's cooking? She wondered. The smell of the sea entered her nose, probably an air freshener. She looked to the clock. 6:25.

"Oh, you're awake," Akari turned to Nagisa's voice, who was carrying two plates of curry rice in his hands and wearing a light blue apron. "I was going to leave this for you later, but since you're awake now…" He set the plates down and went to back into the kitchen, coming out with another knife and spoon.

Akari looked around her apartment. Most of her belongings were untouched, but the seats and tables had been dusted, and the hardwood floor shined under the bright yellow pot lights.

"You were sound asleep when I was done with my room, so I went and cleaned the rest of the house. You wouldn't believe how much stuff I found behind your sofa!"

She eyed the carefully sorted pile of small items on the coffee table, and the guest room door, which was now firmly closed.

"Ah-, uh-, thanks, I guess?" Akari sat down by the plate of steaming hot rice. Her stomach growled and her throat clenched at the sight of food. It was then, and only then, did she realize that she hadn't eaten all day.

"Thanks soooo much," She said while shoveling curry into her mouth, "I love curry." With someone like Nagisa around, maybe having a roommate wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

 **A/N: OK, so. Final year of high school. I'm going to have much worse update times from here on out. Chapter 5 will be here in a bit, but no promises.**

 **[1]** : Basically a really, really thick soup made from green peas, almost like a risotto. Can be served on a plate because of the viscosity

 **[2]** : A French dish where a steak is covered in cracked peppercorns and then cooked, creating a thin crust of flavour to complement the richness of the meat, along with a peppercorn sauce.


End file.
